Model villages envisaged at Karakulam

Thiruvananthapuram: Pallium India has proposed a project to convert two villages under Karakulam panchayat into model villages, where accessibility to public places like government offices and schools is ensured for all including senior citizens and disabled persons.
Pallium India is a charitable trust engaged in providing quality palliative care for patients in the country.

The selected villages under the initiative are Kachani and Tharatta. The trust, which has been campaigning for accessibility for all in public places and stringent implementation of barrier-free building rules, will conduct an accessibility survey in all public places in these villages and submit its report to the panchayat.

“There was good response from representatives of Karakulam panchayat and they selected these two villages for the survey. Through inclusive design, we are not confining our work to ensure accessibility to the disabled, but all people who face temporary disabilities such as fractures or other injuries, during which he or she may be wheelchair-bound or need other support for a short period of time. While designing spaces, we need to consider the case of those facing disabilities for short periods and also senior citizens,” said Dr U Nandakumar Nair, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, who leads the project for Pallium India.

Prior to the survey, the volunteers of Pallium India visited both the villages and collected details related to public spaces such as government offices, supermarkets and schools, etc.

“Including a ramp and providing 90cm width door for entry of a wheelchair will not incur much expense while constructing a building, but will benefit many. Through this project we want to give a message that it can be done in a cost-effective manner and we hope that it gets replicated in other villages. Now, as the new building rules have been published, it has become a mandatory factor for housing schemes,” added Nandakumar.

Pallium India plans to submit the report as a memorandum to panchayat authorities by the end of December, so that the project is considered for fund allocation in the budget.

According to panchayat representatives, the proposal needs active campaigning among the residents for effective results.

“There are provisions to provide facilities for disabled people in some schemes which could be utilized for the project. But, convincing people to adopt inclusive design will be a herculean task. Awareness about such projects needs to be created. A meeting will be convened with Pallium India representatives to discuss the viability of the project,” said Anila M S, president of Karakulam panchayat.